In certain industries, a freelancer may be better off financially than their full-time counterparts. Designers and developers, for instance, are in such high demand that they can afford to be picky about where their next paycheck comes from. The same applies for other creative industries such as writing and photography. But the paycheck is not only thing to consider when moving from your 9 to 5 job to full time freelance.
Here are a list of reasons why you should try freelancing, and easiness is not one of them:
1. To do exactly what you love
Many people are just born creative or have a special talent. In a normal desk job, you often feel tied and your talents wasted. You have a great desire to exhibit your skills in some form and one day you will figure what that form is.
2. To make more money
I know many people who spend their life complaining about low pay in their jobs. No matter what salary you draw every month, it usually runs out way too early. If your job isn’t taking too many hours out of your day, you can use your spare time to work on freelance projects that you enjoy and at the same time bring in more money.
3. To open up new career options
Freelancing will most probably expose you to various types of work, companies, individuals while at the same time teaches you new skills that you can use when applying to other jobs, including desk jobs in the future.
Bear in mind that things will advance slower than expected. It’s not easy to convince someone to try something new, let alone pay for a freelancer who has yet to make a name of himself (or herself). But as you build your clientele list and become an expert in your field, things will indefinitely become way easier.
4. To work from home
This is a crucial factor that makes freelancing even more attractive, especially for those who yearn for a work-life balance where they get to spend more time with family and friends.
Moreover, you get to save on transportation, lunch breaks, time spent commuting and other work-related expenses.
5. To approve your own holidays
Those who have worked in an office know how hard it is to get days-off approved by the management after making sure it they don’t coincide with co-workers’. If you’re a freelancer, all you have to do is to complete your project, make plans with family or friends, pack and go.
And if an emergency takes place, all you have to do is to pull out your laptop or even smartphone and get to work while enjoying your cocktail juice on a faraway beach.It is up to you to make it your vacation fun, you get to decide where you want to tune in or tune out.
By Shaden Abdulrahman
